Smriti Irani shocked to find a hidden camera in trial room

CCTV in a garment trial room? The Union Minister Smiriti Irani had a bitter experience at a shopping mall in Goa on Friday.

Union Education Minister Smriti Irani who tried on clothes at an outlet of the popular FabIndia in Goa spotted a camera positioned to record inside the trial room. Footage from the camera, including that of the Minister, was found recorded on a computer at the store.

Ms Irani, who is on holiday in Goa spotted the camera and immediately raised an alarm alerting her husband, businessman Zubin Irani and called a local legislator, Micheal Lobo of her party, who lodged an FIR.

Mr Lobo, who called the police and rushed to the store, says that the camera was positioned in a way that the lens pointed right into the changing room and was not easily visible. "When we went through the recording, the entire video was recorded. This is mischief, somebody has been watching the recordings," the MLA said.

Footage from the camera, installed four months ago according to staff at the store, was being recorded in a computer in the manager's office, confirming that it held many recordings of people changing in the trial room.

The police have registered a case of outraging a woman's modesty against the store and are investigating to find out who had positioned the camera to face the changing room. "The police are still checking for evidence, they are seizing all the evidence," Mr Lobo said.

Ms Irani, 39, has recorded a statement at the Candolim police station. Lobo said she is staying in the popular Calangute area, not far from the Candolim store. The Union Education Minister who went for emergency shopping in Goa capital was shocked to find a CCTV camera in the trial room and has filed a complaint with the local police asking for action immediately.

The Goa police have registered a case and have begun the investigation. The shop owners in their defense however, said the CCTV was installed to reduce illegal activities by shoppers in view of growing menace of anti socials accosting the beach state.